


Of the Year 2017

by PrincessofHarte



Series: Of the Year [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: I was given a word-a-day calendar for 2017, I'll add characters and tags as they appear and happen, I'm a bit behind right now but I will catch up and release a drabble a day, Let's get through this year together, Multi, each will be at least 300 words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-20 09:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9485756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessofHarte/pseuds/PrincessofHarte
Summary: A drabble series based on the 2017 Merriam-Webster Word-A-Day calendar.Please, enjoy.





	1. Bravado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Bravado (n): *1a:** blustering swaggering conduct  
>  **b:** a pretense of bravery  
>  **2:** the quality or state of being foolhardy

Chat Noir smiles at Ladybug, leaning on his staff. He just knocked an akuma away from her, sending it into a building.

“Afternoon, my Lady,” he greets.

“‘Bout time you showed up, kitty,” she returns.  A dust cloud rises up when the akuma moves, trying to stand, metal groans underneath its many arms and the wall behind it falls away. “Stay away from its arms; it’s got some weird growing power. The akuma’s in one of its hands.”

The akuma stands, roaring in anger. It reaches its arms out to Chat Noir, trying to catch him. He jumps away to the left, landing on a roof. The arms continue to grow, reaching his height. The hands on the end splay their fingers before all smash into the roof, trying to grab the hero. Instead, Chat Noir vaulted to another, higher roof.

“This is a bit too handsy for my taste,” he calls out.

The akuma turns to the sound of his voice, its hands reaching into the brick and gouging the wall as it climbs. When the hands draw near, he bats them away. Faintly, he can hear Ladybug summon her Lucky Charm. Chat Noir’s grin becomes a smirk, bold in his movements, summoning his Cataclysm. He uses it on the building beneath him, knocking off the akumatized villain and trapping it beneath the rubble. Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm to search through the debris and grabs the akumatized object. Breaking it, she catches the akuma, purifies it, and releases it, setting the white butterfly free.

Chat Noir stands by her side when she uses Miraculous Ladybug, the damage reverting. Bumping fists, Ladybug stays behind to help the akuma victim and Chat Noir flees, late to a photoshoot. The bravado he had before is gone, his expression tense with worry for when his father hears about this.


	2. Gumption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Gumption (n) 1** _chiefly dialect_ **:** common sense, horse sense  
>  * **2:** enterprise, initiative

Marinette lay on her chaise, turning her sketchbook in her hands. Yesterday, she had a brilliant idea for her dress for the school dance, but she didn’t have the time to start on it because of an akuma attack. Today, she has the gumption to get started on it. Taking into account how short she is, Marinette erases the skirt’s length; puffy skirts with small bodices only help to make you look shorter. She lets the skirt poof out, yes, but it doesn’t fall below her knees. Some tulle underneath the top layer of the skirt will help keep the shape she wants.

_ Should it be round? _ So many girls are planning on having round dresses. Marinette wants to stand out, but she doesn’t want to be too out there. Angles would make her look taller.  _ It depends on the shoe. _

Of all the clothes Marinette’s made in her life, shoes are the one thing she’s never perfected. She’s tried making them, but they always fall apart after a few days of wear-and-tear. Shoes are too thick for her to make properly if she wants them to last.  _ The shoe can be picked later, Marinette. Think of the color. _

Red is absolutely out of the question. She’s not planning on getting married any time soon and the color makes her look too much like Ladybug. Black could work, but it would depend on the type of fabric. Yellow isn’t a good color on her. Orange would make the outfit look too much like a Halloween costume. Green would be pretty, but the fabric store is out of the colors she wants and it will take too long for them to get in a new shipment.

Taking her pen off the paper, her mind stops wandering, looking at the finished product. She  _ sees _ it.  _ Blue. The dress will be blue _ . Scrambling off the chaise, she pulls three different light blues out of her colored pencil case.  _ Most of the dress will be a light blue, with dark blue trim and normal blue embroidery _ . She takes out the black pencil, coloring in a few small circles.  _ Black rhinestones will emphasize the embroidery _ . The shoes, she decides, will be black. Pumps if she can find them, flats if she can’t. Flats are probably the safer option, but she’s trying to look tall.

Setting down her pencil, she turns on her computer, searching through her favorite online fabric store for the right material.  _ This’ll be good. _


	3. Rescind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Rescind (v) 1:** to take away: remove  
>  * **2:** to take back: cancel  
>  **3:** to make void (as an act) by action of the enacting authority

“Oh, mon minou,” Ladybug runs a hand across her partner’s cheek, enjoying his terrified expression. He’s pinned to the ground by someone unseen, his right arm straight in the air behind him. Ladybug isn’t herself. Her suit is black and her spots are orange, blurry and splattered, not the perfect circles he knows and loves. Her beautiful bluebell blue eyes are red like blood, angry, and hard.

“You’re so stupid.” Her caress turns to a slap, Chat Noir’s head aching as his neck twists, his cheek stinging. “You really thought I saw you as a partner? Ha! You’re beneath me in every way. You can’t create anything; you can only destroy. The public doesn’t care about you the way they care about me. They’re afraid of you. They think you’re a monster.”

“Ladybug, please,” says Chat Noir. “This isn’t you. You’re under the influence of an akuma. The Ladybug I know and love would never do this.”

“Love?” Ladybug bends down to the hero, pulling his head up by the hair and making him groan. “I never loved you. I pitied you. You were so upsetting to watch I just had to humor you.”

“Is that why you let me kiss you on the Eiffel Tower?” he questions, trying to get her to rescind her statement. “Is that why you let me take you out on the Seine for your birthday? Is that why you told me you lo—” Ladybug drops Chat Noir’s head, her hand clenched over his mouth. He can feel her nails bruise his cheeks.

A purple mask appears over her face.

She says, “Shut up.”

Ladybug glares at the ground, her gaze unfocused. She releases his face, standing and grabbing his outstretched hand.

“No! Ladybug, don’t!” Chat Noir pleads, but he is silenced with a swift kick from his partner. She wrenches the ring of his finger and drops his wrist, his transformation fading away.

Staring at his naked face, she mutters, “Maybe I loved you once.”

 

* * *

 

Adrien jerks awake in bed, his heart pounding, grabbing his phone, he sees the ring on his hand and Plagg on his pillow. Even though it’s late, he texts Ladybug, just to make sure this is real, that they're real.


	4. Svelte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Svelte (adj) 1** * **a:** slender, lithe  
>  **b:** having even and smooth lines: sleek  
>  **2:** urbane, suave

“Svelte!”

Marinette snaps out of her daydream, her gaze coming back into focus not on Adrien, but on his photographer. He stands before her, grinning at her.

“Svelte?” she repeats.

“Yes, svelte! You are svelte. It’s just what this photoshoot needs!”

Marinette raises a finger to stop him and ask him what “svelte” means, but she freezes, mouth dropping open. “Wait! Photoshoot?? Me??? No. Nononononononono. I’m not—I mean, I don’t think—”

Alya wraps an arm around Marinette’s shoulder, interrupting her and saying, “She’d love to!”

Marinette stares at Alya, unable to form a sentence. Satisfied, the photographer waves over three women who drag Marinette away to a tent. Not even five minutes later, Marinette is pushed out of the tent wearing an entirely different outfit, her hair in a different style, and her face painted with makeup. She is ushered over to the fountain, where she bumps into Adrien. He turns, greeting her. Marinette dies; her blush shows through her heavy makeup and she can’t say a single word without stuttering. Adrien grins at his friend’s antics. Before she can recover, the photoshoot begins.

The photographer shouts out orders to his lighting crew, Marinette, and Adrien. Adrien helps Marinette with the photographer’s directions, helping her pose before the picture is taken. Slowly, she gets the hang of it, her blush and nervousness fading away. By the end of the photoshoot, Marinette speaks to Adrien freely, the two of them laughing at the strange manner of the photographer (“No, you need to act like you’re eating your mother’s spaghetti.” “That’s too much spaghetti!” “No, I do not want spaghetti! Who hired you?”)

However, Marinette is still easily flustered and very clumsy. The photographer wanted Marinette to stand very close to Adrien. When she readjusts herself, her heel catches in the rocks and her ankle twists, causing her to fall into Adrien. He isn’t prepared for the impact. In trying to catch Marinette, Adrien falls on his back, Marinette straddling him. The photographer squeals in glee at the new position and how close Marinette and Adrien are. He bounces around them, taking pictures and yelling at Marinette when she tries to get up. Adrien smiles sheepishly at Marinette, whose blush and stutter comes back in full force. On the sidelines, Alya takes pictures too, her grin nothing but teeth.

The photoshoot finishes soon after that, but Marinette doesn’t recover from it for another day, much to Alya’s annoyance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the photographer's name is Vincent. There are two Vincents in the show.
> 
> Second fun fact: "Svelte" is a word the English stole from the French, who in turn stole it from the Italians.


	5. Accolade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Accolade (n) 1a:** a ceremonial embrace < /br>  
>  **b:** a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood < /br>  
>  ***2a:** a mark of acknowledgment: award < /br>  
>  **b:** an expression of praise

Tikki sits in front of Marinette’s computer, munching on a cookie. Marinette’s only been Ladybug for six months, but that hasn’t stopped the mayor from heaping his praises on her and Cat Noir. Mayor Bourgeois holds a press conference outside his hotel, declaring next Saturday to be “Ladybug and Cat Noir Day.”

_ Another accolade, Plagg, _ Tikki thinks.  _ It’s been a while since one of your kittens was in the spotlight like this. _ Tikki frowns. The last time one of her holders received praise like this, it didn’t end well. Jeanne was one of her best bugs, but her luck ran out.  _ Plagg wasn’t active then. Marinette is safe.  _ So much could go wrong in this strange, advanced world. Tikki can only trust in the Guardian and that he knows how this world works.

* * *

 

Plagg lazes about on Adrien’s couch, eating his fourth wheel of Camembert. Adrien is behind him at his desk, noisily chewing on his pen while he studies. Plagg burps, drawing Adrien’s attention to him and the muted television. Plagg turns up the volume, the mayor’s press conference filling up the room.

“--will include a festival in the park around their statue, a parade, and food for our heroes. There will even be a superhero-lookalike contest. It shall be a city-wide holiday, so businesses will have the opportunity to close. There will be fireworks on La Seine at the end of the day,” Mayor Bourgeois says.

“Is there any guarantee Ladybug and Cat Noir will appear?” asks a reporter.

“They have been contacted and I’ve been told they will definitely appear,” he answers.

Adrien takes the remote away from Plagg and lowers the volume. “Plagg, what is he talking about?”

“Ladybug and Cat Noir Day.” Plagg tosses the lid off his fifth wheel of Camembert. “You get a whole day to yourselves. This  hasn’t happened for both of us in a while. Apparently, you’re already going.”

Adrien rolls his eyes, returning to his homework. Before he can start, his phone interrupts him; Chloé calls.

“ _ Adrikins! You heard about Ladybug and Cat Noir Day, right? It’s next Saturday, and it’s a holiday, so you aren’t allowed to work! You won’t have any photoshoots, so you get to spend the day with me!” _ she says

“That sounds great, Chlo, but I kinda have a schedule already….”

_ “ Businesses are going to be closed, so you can’t stick to your schedule. _ ”

“I still have to check with Nathalie. You know how my father is.”

Chloé groans.  _ “Fine. But my daddy will make sure you’re with me. _ ”

“Thanks, Chlo. I have to finish Ms. Mendeleiev’s homework. I’ll talk to you later.”

_ “Bye, Adrien.” _ Chloé sings his name and hangs up.

Adrien rests his head on his hands.  _ Ladybug will be there.  _ He isn’t going to be able to focus on his homework now. Plagg chuckles, returning to his cheese.


	6. Magnum Opus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Magnum Opus (n):** a great work; _especially_ : the greatest achievement of an artist or writer.

When the akuma threw Marinette into the future, she wasn’t expecting to wake up wearing a massive red dress. The dress was in a traditional Chinese fashion, her sleeves going down to her arms, the extra fabric hanging beautifully. A sash merely wrapped around her waist, one end hanging to her knees, separated the bodice from the skirt. From her waist down, the skirt of her dress hugged her hips, leading into the fabric falling naturally and pooling with a small train around her ankles. Gold lace covered the bodice and the sash, not so much that it overwhelmed the eye, but that it drew attention to her face.

Marinette walked over to the vanity, staring at the woman in the mirror. Her dark hair was coiled and curled into an intricate bun. Red and gold eyeshadow gave color to her stark white face. She raised a hand, touching her cheek. She had cheekbones! Light glinted off her hand; on her left finger was  a ruby engagement ring. Five black stones were set around the ruby in the pattern of a ladybug’s wings. She grabbed her ears, searching for her Miraculous, but found none.

“Tikki?” Marinette called. She got on her hands and knees, searching for Tikki. “Tikki, where are you?” She heard people speaking outside the door. Getting up, she banged her head on the underside of the vanity.”

“I don’t see how anything could go wrong,” a woman said. “We planned for everythi--. Girl, what are you doing?”

Marinette stared at the woman. Her chestnut hair was dip-dyed red and white. Her golden eyes sparkled with concern behind her amber glasses. She held out her hand, three orange bangles clinking as Marinette gladly took it, standing up.

“Did you drop something?” she asked.

Her voice was deeper than it was when they were younger, and her frame was fuller and curvier. She wasn’t certain, but she thought…”Alya?”

“Are you okay, Mari?” Alya asked.

“She’s obviously not okay,” a snarky voice said. Marinette glanced behind Alya, looking for the voice. “Down here.”

A small black cat floated in the air. “Name’s Plagg. I’m Cat Noir’s kwami. Welcome to your wedding.”

“My wedding?!” Marinette let go of Alya’s hand and stumbled backwards into the vanity. “My wedding?! To whom?”

“To--” Alya began, only to be interrupted by Plagg.

“No. Nonononononono. No spoiler. Kid, she’s from the past,” Plagg explained. “She’s not my Marinette.”

“ _Your_ Marinette?”

“What do we do now? She can’t marry _him_.” Alya ignored her.

“Have Sabine stall for time. Say Marinette spilled something and she’s cleaning it up.”

“Her relatives are going to be so mad. They already don’t like me.”

“They’ll get over it.”

Three harsh knocks sound on the door. “Can I come in now?” a third voice asked.

“NO,” both Plagg and Alya shouted.

“Kid, you go stall. I’ll stay with Marinette,” Plagg decided. Alya nodded and left, shooing away a blonde from the door. Marinette sits on the plush chair by the vanity and hugs her arms.

“Plagg,” Marinette started, “Do you know who I am?”

“‘Course. You’re Marinette Dupain-Cheng, designer extraordinaire, and Ladybug.”

“Where’s Tikki?”

“With your fiance.”

Marinette closed her eyes. “I’m getting married to Cat Noir.”

“Open your eyes,” Plagg demanded. “ _You’re_ not marrying anyone. _My_ Marinette is marrying the person she loves.”

“But I _am_ that Marinette and you’re here, so I must be marrying Cat Noir.”

“Marinette…” Plagg sighed. “I’m going to give you some advice. You told me to tell you this, so don’t blame me if you get mad. Memorize your dress. Remember as many details as you can. When you get home, even if you immediately go to sketch it, you won’t remember the dress very well. You have to design it. You called it your _magnum opus_.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t have much time left. Don’t forget to add in a secret pocket on the right! It’s extremely important. Secret pocket on the right. Don’t forget.”

Marinette stared at the dress, trying to memorize the exact shade when her vision began to blur. “Plagg, what’s happening?”

“You’re going back. Remember the secret pocket on the right! Secret pocket on the right!”

Marinette blinked and she was Ladybug,  a teenager again. She was being hugged by Cat Noir. Ladybug blushed, awkwardly stepped out of Cat Noir’s embrace, and rushed home. She was supposed to remember something important, but could only remember a beautiful shade of red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: _Magnum opus_ literally means "great work" in Latin.


End file.
